My child
by ArchAngelCayta
Summary: Hannibal's Daughter Caretta comes home. Hannibal has to take measures to protect her. *Updated*


_I know that the show says that he never thought of having a child…but I just had to see what kind of creative child I could come up with if Hannibal did…I hope it is somewhat enjoyable and if enough people like it I may make a story out of it. I would like reviews telling me what you think._

He had waited until she had fallen asleep. He ran a finger along the length of her hair.

To Hannibal, Caretta was still his little girl. While they hadn't spoken in three years, he was still there for her when she needed him. She still had a roof over her head when she needed to come home; she still had a way to eat if she was hungry…

She still had protection when she came to him for help. Tonight was no exception.

His eyes grazed over her shoulders, her arms, and the part of her back that he could see…The black, purple, blue and red marks that covered her body. She tried to hide it when she came home; she tried not to show that something was wrong. She had come in the rain, knocking on his door and smiling. She had been at a wedding, dressed in a beautiful black dress, she said that she needed to see him; she even made dinner that night. Hannibal watched, a smile on his face, the pride for his daughter that had come home to him, but there was something that he saw…He saw it in her hazel colored eyes, the eyes that were identical to his, something wasn't right. Finally he managed to coax her to tell him. He even had to be rough with her in order to get her to talk. Finally he got her to speak the words that he didn't ever want to hear come from his daughter…"It was Richard…He…" The tears started to form in her eyes, her arms began to shake, he swore he could even feel her heart beat. Before he knew it, he wrapped his arms around her, holding her to him as the tears poured down her face. He kissed her hair "I am so sorry that I let him do this to you."

He leaned down to her sleeping form and kissed her head one more time. She was sleeping better than she had slept in months he was sure. "I will be back soon, I promise." He whispered into her ear. She moved slightly but did not open her eyes. She was so tired she could barely keep her eyes open when he watched her go to sleep.

He got into his car; he promised her some of her favorite tea, some that he used to make for her when she was little. Before he did that he was going to make a quick stop.

He knockd on the door, however there was no answer. Hannibal's eyes furrowed and knocked again. Surley this man was home from the wedding that they had been attending. Recieving no answer from the second knock he tried the door handle to find it unlocked. No matter, the elemant of suprise was one of the best tastes. Stepping through the door and closing it behind him, he was met by a certain smell that he himself recognized all too well. He walked down the hallway and made it around the corner to to kitchen to find a young man, in his mid to late twenties, lying on the floor...dead. His eyes were staring up at the ceiling wide as if he was afraid, terrified, or even suprised by his attacker. His curly black hair was matted to his head, blood covered his bare chest. His throat had been cut so deeply that his head almost had been but away from his shoulders. then he was repeatedly stabbed in the chest and groin area. Hannibal looked over the seen, the pieces falling together and he realized, his daughter was more lie him than what he could possibly imagine. "Caretta my darling daughter...I have so much to teach you."

Hannibal also realized that he was going to have to save her daughter in more ways than one, for she would be the first one that the police looked at in this case. Hannibal was also not the kind of person to let a good meal go to waste.

He returned home quietly but he didnt sleep, he was still in a little bit of suprise. His daughter, his only child. Her only innocence was washed away when she killed Richard Martin, he as a psychologist would not have dared go so far as to think that Caretta's actions were based on him. Now however was a different story, he was startin to think something else... He stared at the fireplace, the embers sparking and popping. He was jolted from his thought when he heard his daughters light footsteps walked down the hallway "Good Morning Caretta." He didnt look at her, he kept his face to the fireplace.

"Good morning Dad." She said slightly. The image of her covered in blood flashed through his memory and he didnt know weather to be proud or disturbed by this image. Trying to hide it he finally looked at her and smiled "I bought your favorite tea I thought you might want some, I also made breakfast if you are hungry."

She nodded, after last night she had managed to work up a bit of an appitite. He stood and motioned for her to take a seat. She walked over to the table and took a seat at one of the plates, he stood behind her and helped her with her chair befoe taking a seat next to her "Wow steak, eggs...it must be a special occasion. I am used to cereal."

"Oh, but it is, the occasion is the return of my daughter."

Caretta smiled and took a sip of her tea "You still make it the best, dad. I must say."

She started to cut into her breakfast and began to eat. "How long has Richard been hitting you?" The question came out so sudden that both of them paused for a quiet moment. Caretta mid-bite of her breakfast. "About three months after we got together. "It's funny, since I left last night I seem lost, like I don't really know what to do without that hand to hit me in the right direction...Is that normal?"

Hannibal knew he had to be a psyhologist and a father at the same time now. "For some battered people...yes. But not for you."

He reached over and took hold of her hand "Richard will not be hurting you ever again."

She smiled and gripped to his hand and took another bite "This steak is excellent father, where did you get it."

"I am glad you liked it...I picked it up early this morning."


End file.
